New Online Help for Managing Whiteflies

Tiny, sap-sucking whitefliesand the diseases they often
spreadcause some of the world's worst crop problems and are responsible
for enormous losses every year. Now an online resource has been developed to
help growers afflicted by the pests.

Whiteflies are found throughout the tropics and subtropics, but can be
troublesome in greenhouses and other growing environments as well. Both
immature and adult stages ingest plant sap and cause damage directly, by
feeding and transmitting plant viruses, or indirectly, by excreting a sticky
substance called honeydew onto leaves and fruit. Sooty mold fungi colonize the
contaminated surfaces, further interfering with photosynthesis and ultimately
resulting in reduced quality of fruit and fiber. In addition to ornamentals,
whiteflies attack cassava, cotton, sweet potato, legumes and many other
vegetables grown in mixed or annual cropping systems.

Called "Management Program for Whiteflies on Propagated Ornamentals
With an Emphasis on the Q-biotype," the comprehensive online resource can be
accessed at:

Among the many topics covered at the website are the importance of
crop hygiene, pre- and post-planting practices and insecticide recommendations.
Also stressed is the need to control whiteflies early, before they spread to
neighboring fields.

Proper use of insecticides is important for whitefly management,
particularly with respect to avoiding development of insecticide resistance in
whiteflies. The online guide recommends that insecticides be rotated between
chemical classes and should be applied a minimum of two times, at a five- to
seven-day interval, to allow for egg hatch between applications and ensure that
adults, nymphs and newly hatched individuals are all killed.